Framework for supporting pupils with severe and profound ...

1 Psychological Service Inclusive Education Service Curriculum for excellenceApril 2015 The South Lanarkshire Framework for supporting pupils with severe and profound Learning NeedsEducation Resources1. Introduction2. Definitions of severe and profound Learning Needs 3. The Curriculum for Excellence for pupils with severe and profound Learning Needs4. Assessment, target setting and monitoring5. Teaching and learning approaches6. Health and wellbeing and addressing challenging behaviours 7. References 8. Useful links9. Appendices10. Resources Contents4 Introduction1 This document is intended to support the teachers and support assistants of children and young people with severe or profound learning needs. These pupils have difficulty generalising skills to new contexts, often plateau in their learning or show regression as a result of illness (Imray and Hinchcliffe, 2012.) The skills that they need to be taught within a school environment may have already been achieved by the majority of typically developing children within the first two years of life.

2 Some children may achieve competency in certain areas of learning but continue to have difficulty carrying out self-care skills or communicating their needs. An understanding of these atypical development patterns ensures that emphasis is placed upon conducting appropriate assessment and providing relevant and personalised learning experiences, all within the context of the Curriculum for Excellence. This document aims to provide guidance on how to do this and is based on relevant literature and research on the teaching and learning of pupils with severe and profound needs. There is a lack of consensus about a precise definition of severe and profound learning needs. In England, much of the literature refers to pupils with severe learning difficulties (SLD) or profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). The Doran review (2012), set up to review specialist education provision in Scotland, refers to children and young people with complex additional support needs.

3 Although the report concluded that there was no neat definition , it was recognised that this term has some value since children and young people require a complex set of arrangements and input from a numbers of specialist practitioners to allow them to progress. In South Lanarkshire, the following functional definitions are used. These place emphasis on the child or young person s specific learning needs and aid in discussion about educational planning for individual learning needsChildren and young people with profound learning needs are likely to have more than one disability, but their most significant area of need is in relation to their learning disability. They are likely to experience difficulty learning to communicate, eat, reach out and actively engage with others. These pupils are mostly non-verbal and may sometimes use eye pointing, vocalisations and gestures to communicate. Some may also use alternative augmentative communication aids.

4 They require high levels of support with all aspects of daily life such as intimate care, feeding and and young people with profound learning needs will also: have additional sensory and physical disabilities ( they may have restricted mobility or be severely visually impaired, or both) have multiple , complex and on-going health needs such as severe epilepsy, a gastrostomy or a tracheostomy have a physical disability such as cerebral palsy, spina-bifida or hydrocephalus Definitions2 Children and young people require a complex set of arrangements and input from a number of specialist practitioners to allow them to progress. pupils are likely to be working towards the Early level of the Curriculum for Excellence. This group of learners will require distinct teaching approaches which focus on developing their communication, cognitive, physical, self-help and independence skills. severe learning needsChildren and young people with severe learning needs may have more than one disability, the most significant of which are severe learning needs.

5 They are likely to experience difficulties problem solving, playing co-operatively and forming relationships. Some pupils may use signs and/or symbols to communicate whilst others may use some language although this may not always be functional. Children and young people with severe learning needs will require on-going support for most if not all aspects of daily life. Children and young people with severe learning needs may also: have sensory and physical disabilities have on-going health needs such as epilepsyThis level of disability may also exist comorbidly with other disabilities and disorders such as Autism, Down s syndrome, or other chromosomal are likely to be working in or towards the Early Level of the Curriculum for Excellence. This group of learners will require distinct teaching approaches which focus on developing their communication, cognitive, physical and self-help and independence skills. The Curriculum for Excellence sets out every child and young person s entitlement to a broad education.

6 This includes all Experiences and Outcomes across the eight curricular areas. For children and young people with severe learning needs, the entitlements should be balanced with what is meaningful and relevant for individual pupils . Teaching activities should therefore incorporate a pupil s motivators. Opportunities will be provided for learners to make choices, dependent upon their means of communication and cognitive ability. Staff will require an in-depth knowledge of the children and young people with whom they are working and an understanding of the development and progression of this group of learners. Staff will also be required to use specialised teaching approaches as part of the repertoire of learning and teaching practices. For some children and young people , especially those with profound needs, progress may be monitored in key areas of the curriculum that are embedded within Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing and within cross-curricular themes.

7 The Curriculum for Excellence for pupils with severe and profound learning needs3 Child at the centreSocial studiesMathematicsReligious and moral educationEnglishExpressive Arts Numeracy Health and wellbeing LiteracyTechnologiesSciencesCommunicatio n Self-care and independence Cognition Physical skillsThese are: Communication The progression from pre-intentional behaviour - to responding to the environment - to learning how to respond to and initiate communication The development of functional and social communication skills and receptive and expressive skills Cognition The demonstration of and purposeful responses to stimuli in an environment. The demonstration of increased basic problem solving skills and and independence The development of self-care and functional skills ( toileting, eating, dressing, buying items in a shop) in a variety of contexts and with increasing autonomy and choice skills The development of gross and fine motor skills.

8 The development of increased voluntary movements with greater autonomy Teaching and learning for this group of learners should therefore: Consider the complex interaction of disabilities, medical issues and sensory impairments on a young person s learning experiences. Be pupil -led and adopt a highly individualised and personalised approach to addressing young people s learning needs. Have a developmental basis and take into consideration the atypical and often non-linear development of this group of learners. Create meaningful teaching and learning experiences for the pupil , without concentrating solely on activities which are considered to be age appropriate. Acknowledge that many learners will remain at the earliest stages of development. This is not to say small steps in progress cannot be made and they must be acknowledged and celebrated. (Hobbs, 2009) Take into account the difficulties that learners may have in generalising new skills to different environments.

9 pupils will require repeated opportunity to consolidate a new skill in one experience and then to transfer this skill across a range of different experiences . Enable parents to work alongside staff in identifying a child or young person s learning needs. Ensure that the identification of meaningful learning intentions follows a period of assessment which involves both school staff and multi-agency professionals. Attribute importance to on-going assessment and observation as a means of assessing a pupil s level of engagement, their motivators and their on-going strengths and needs. Acknowledge that this group of learners sometimes require distinct teaching approaches. Focus on the development of a young person s communication; this involves staff assessing a pupil s communicative attempts and using appropriate methods of communication. Combine process-based and outcome-based teaching and learning opportunities relevant to the pupil .

10 Ensure that all staff have an understanding of a pupil s learning needs and are committed to enabling children and young people to develop their skills and fulfil their potential. Create an appropriate learning environment in the classroom and in the wider school to best meet pupils needs. Place significant emphasis on planning a pupil s transition and preparing them for the next stage of education or for a post-school of assessmentThe purpose of assessment is to provide information about pupils current abilities, monitor progress and inform future planning. This will enable pupils to make the best possible progress in key areas of the will involve collaboration with both parents and multi-agency professionals. Assessment will be largely formative and will be on-going throughout the academic year. However, a more intensive assessment period will take place at the beginning of the new academic year to ensure that priorities are identified which are meaningful and relevant to the individual pupil .